Spooky season is upon us – which means we’re only mere moments away from getting dressed up and choosing trick or treat! But how much do you actually know about the Halloween season? Have you ever wondered where it comes from or what the traditions are that people follow? Fear not – we’ve listed 7 spooky halloween traditions below from around the world for you to find out about. Why not check them out and then test your knowledge on our Halloween quiz here!
Halloween’s roots
Halloween was born from a Celtic tradition called Samhain - which originated over 2000 years ago! The celebration marked the end of summer and beginning of winter on November 1st. The celts would dress up and tell stories to celebrate – believing that on the night of the 31st – the gap between the worlds of the dead and alive became more free flowing for the evening! Spooky!
Wearing costumes
Because people believed that halloween was the night that the living world and the spirit world became one, it was tradition to get dressed up in scary outfits to frighten any spirits that they might bump into in the night! They also would light bonfires to scare off the ghosts. Is anyone else starting to feel sorry for these spooky passers by?
All Souls’ Week
In Austria, there is a tradition around Halloween called ‘All Souls Week’ (translated from Seelenwoche) which runs from 30th October through to 8th November. The week-long celebration involves people leaving out bread and lamps for their family members who have passed away. On the 1st of November, there is a ringing of the church bells which is meant to release the souls – how sweet!
Pumpkins!
The use of pumpkins at Halloween originated from the old Irish story of Jack-O-Lantern. The Irish wanted to ward off Jack so carved faces and shapes into turnips (yes turnips!). When many Irish people emigrated to the US, they took this tradition with them – which later became pumpkins due to their availability and size!
Trick or treating
In medieval times this used to be called souling! People would knock on different doors and offer to pray for people’s family members in exchange for food. Over time this later evolved into dressing up and trick or treating for sweets and treats! In the Philippines however, the original tradition still lives on is called Pangangaluwa; It involves children going door to door to sing and pray for people’s relatives.
Day of the Dead
So you’ll have heard of this one if you’ve seen the amazing Disney film ‘Coco’ – but Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a famous Mexican tradition which is celebrated from Halloween until 2nd November. It involves painting of faces, floral decorations, family gatherings and music. It’s a joyful celebration of life, where families get to pay their respects to their family members who have died.
Japanese parades and street parties!
In Japan, Halloween is majorly celebrated – but it’s more of an excuse for a party! The Japanese people throw parades, street parties and celebrations for the holiday and often dress up in elaborate costumes, put on shows and even do cosplay. It sounds like lots of fun!
